Heather Winters

They say, “Producing is like trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel when someone hands you a stick of crazy glue and turns the lights off.” In fact, the producer is the “visionary”—typically, the one to initiate, develop, nurture, and shepherd a project, step-by-step, from its inception to its completion. Bringing all of the project’s elements into existence while being the critical glue that holds everything together…the producer knows how to “turn the lights on.” Being a producer is a magical journey of discovery: learning what stories are important to you, discovering the best way to tell them, and defining why you must be the one to bring a story to life. These are the essential pillars of producing. This immersive course provides filmmakers, directors, screenwriters, actors, or any interested student a real-world look “under the hood” into the fundamentals of creative producing—providing a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that the creative producer plays in the dynamic and ever-changing world of film and television. Taught through the lens of what one (or a small army of producers) actually does, this course demystifies and explores the role of the producer on a feature or on a short film, documentary, television, animated, or digital project from the moment of creative inspiration through project delivery—defining what it means to “produce.” Working individually and in teams, students will “produce” semester group projects and engage in discussions, theoretical exploration, practical workshops, and exercises that simulate real-world producing scenarios, as they develop essential skills crucial for success in the producing field. Topics covered include development, preproduction, production, and postproduction; collaborating with writers, directors, actors, and crew; script breakdown, scheduling, budgeting, financing, distribution, script coverage; and best producing practices. This course offers students a chance to explore the role of the producer and learn invaluable creative perspectives and industry insights, as students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the multifaceted landscape of producing. Workshops and intimate conversations with working artists from both in front of and behind the camera allow students opportunities to engage with creatives active in the field. Course objectives include developing a holistic understanding and fundamental knowledge of the producing process; gaining a unique window into the importance of, and mechanics pertaining to, the producing discipline; and assembling an essential toolkit for creating and seeking opportunities in the filmmaking, television, and moving-image arts worlds.

This course explores the role of the creative producer and the process of producing a feature or short film, documentary, television, animation, or digital project from development through distribution. Taught through the lens of what one producer (or a small army of producers) actually does, this course explores the role of the producer from the moment of creative inspiration through development, preproduction, production, postproduction, and project delivery—defining and demystifying what it means to “produce.” Working in small groups, students develop and pitch project ideas to the class and work in groups throughout the semester to prepare fully-developed project presentations. Students will gain experience in breaking down scripts; crafting shooting schedules and budgets; writing loglines, synopses, and treatments; casting breakdowns; and identifying each project’s audience and platform. Course work consists of verbal and written assignments, film screenings, weekly readings, and industry guest workshops. Participation in software labs is required. This course provides real-world producing guidance, offering filmmakers, screenwriters, and directors a window into the importance of, and mechanics pertaining to, the producing discipline, as well as a practical skill set for creating and seeking opportunities in the filmmaking, television, and digital content worlds.

In an age in which narratives shape perceptions and drive societal change, this course will invite students to explore the profound art of documentary filmmaking. The course will offer a comprehensive introduction to the practices and principles of creating compelling documentaries that illuminate the human experience. Students will develop a critical understanding of the power of nonfiction stories while investigating the narrative structures, technical skills, and ethical considerations that underpin the documentary form. Through hands-on workshops, screenings, group discussions, and individual projects, students will gain valuable insights into the creative process while developing their unique voice as filmmakers. The course will cover the foundational elements of documentary production and essential topics, including the historical evolution of documentary, techniques for effective storytelling and interviewing, research, camera and lighting styles, editing, and the role of the filmmaker as both creator and curator of real-life stories. By the end of the course, students will have conceived, filmed, directed, produced, and edited a three- to five-minute documentary short while also learning to capture the essence of life on film as they harness the power of true storytelling to inform, inspire, and engage. In fall until mid-semester, students will meet weekly with the instructor for individual conferences and biweekly, thereafter, through spring.

Being a producer is a magical journey of discovery. Learning what stories are important to you, the best way to tell them, and why you must be the one to bring a story to life...these are the essential pillars of producing. A producer is the “visionary”—typically the one to initiate, develop, nurture, and shepherd a project, step-by-step, to its completion. The producer brings all of a project’s elements into existence and is the glue that holds them together. Taught through the lens of understanding what one or a small army of producers actually does, this course demystifies and explores the role of the producer on a feature or short film, documentary, television, animated, or digital project from the moment of creative inspiration through development, production, postproduction, and project delivery—defining what it means to “produce.” Led by an industry professional, this course takes a real-world look under the hood into the fundamentals of producing. In the first seven weeks, topics broadly covered include development; preproduction elements; collaborating with writers, directors, and crew; script breakdown; script coverage; scheduling, budgeting, financing, and distribution; and best producing practices. The second seven weeks will focus on pitching; the role of agents, managers, and executives; industry representation; and how to navigate a career from the classroom to the screening room. The course features industry guests from both behind and in front of the camera and is designed around reading, screening, and podcast assignments, as well as hands-on, in-class group work. Students will complete this course with a foundational knowledge of producing and pitching, gain a unique window into the importance of and mechanics pertaining to the producing discipline, and leave with an introductory toolkit for creating and seeking opportunities in the filmmaking and television worlds.

The first step to getting any project made is having the goods—a screenplay, an original TV pilot script, episodes of a digital series, a short film script, a documentary treatment or proposal—and then developing a rock-solid pitch. By asking important questions—What is your story? To what kind of viewer will it appeal? Is it practical? Has it been done before? What makes your project unique? Why am I the right person to tell this story?—this course introduces students to the fundamentals and practicalities of development and pitching. Through a collaborative workshop process and by using their existing scripts and projects, students will engage in table reads, script analysis, and verbal and written pitch exercises and spend the semester learning about and creating the elements that will make their particular projects and stories resonate and become marketable. Through this process, students will learn how to develop a project into a pitch package and how to pitch that project and engage with the gatekeepers of the myriad platforms where audiences seek stories on screen. Course work is designed to guide students in how to evaluate the strengths and weakness of their ideas, scripts, treatments, and projects and to explore what platform(s) will best suit their project and why. Guest workshops with industry professionals include writer pitches and understanding talent representation in the entertainment industry. The semester’s work culminates in a final pitch presentation—an essential skill for all writers, filmmakers, directors, and producers. Whether pitching a colleague to collaborate on your project or pitching a studio or network to finance your project, students will learn how to ensure that a script or project is ready to pitch, how to understand studio and network needs, how to establish industry contacts, how to be a skilled communicator, how to understand and grapple with changing audience tastes, and, overall, how to sell an idea. Students must have a completed script or treatment for which they wish to develop a pitch.

They say, “Producing is like trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel when someone hands you a stick of crazy glue and turns the lights off.” In fact, the producer is the “visionary”—typically, the one to initiate, develop, nurture, and shepherd a project, step-by-step, from its inception to its completion. Bringing all of the project’s elements into existence while being the critical glue that holds everything together, the producer knows how to “turn the lights on.” Being a producer is a magical journey of discovery: learning what stories are important to you, discovering the best way to tell them, and defining why you must be the one to bring a story to life. These are the essential pillars of producing. This immersive course will provide filmmakers, directors, screenwriters, actors, or any interested student a real-world look “under the hood” into the fundamentals of creative producing—providing a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that the creative producer plays in the dynamic and ever-changing world of film and television. Taught through the lens of what one (or a small army of producers) actually does, this course will demystify and explore the role of the producer on a feature or on a short film, documentary, television, animated, or digital project from the moment of creative inspiration through project delivery—defining what it means to “produce.” Working individually and in teams, students will “produce” semester group projects and engage in discussions, theoretical exploration, practical workshops, and exercises that will simulate real-world producing scenarios, as they develop essential skills crucial for success in the producing field. Topics covered will include development, preproduction, production, and postproduction; collaborating with writers, directors, actors, and crew; script breakdown, scheduling, budgeting, financing, distribution, script coverage; and best producing practices. This course will offer students a chance to explore the role of the producer and learn invaluable creative perspectives and industry insights, as students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the multifaceted landscape of producing. Workshops and intimate conversations with working artists from both in front of and behind the camera will allow students opportunities to engage with creatives active in the field. Course objectives will include developing a holistic understanding and fundamental knowledge of the producing process; gaining a unique window into the importance of, and mechanics pertaining to, the producing discipline; and assembling an essential toolkit for creating and seeking opportunities in the filmmaking, television, and moving-image arts worlds.